Maikel Franco powers Phillies to 11-8 win over Yankees

Maikel Franco of the Philadelphia Phillies connects on a sixth-inning, two-run home run Monday night against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Maikel Franco of the Philadelphia Phillies connects on a sixth-inning, two-run home run Monday night against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. (Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)

Howie RumbergAP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg might have as much confidence in Maikel Franco as the young rookie third baseman has in himself.

Sandberg gave Franco the greenlight on a 3-0 count in the sixth inning Monday, and the 22 year old slugger didn't disappoint. He sent the pitch a long way into the bleachers in left field at Yankee Stadium for his second home run of the night.

Franco had career highs of four hits and five RBIs and made a fabulous diving play to help Philadelphia snap a 12-game road skid with an 11-8 victory over the New York Yankees.

"I think he's the right guy for the spot there. The way he's swinging the bat and makes something happen," Sandberg said. "He's been our most consistent and productive hitter on a daily basis with driving the ball and stinging it."

Since being recalled from the minors on May 15, Franco leads the Phillies with nine home runs and 24 RBIs. His teammates have taken notice of the talent.

"He's got everything you look for in a young player," starter Kevin Corriea said. "There's similarities to (Albert) Pujols."

Franco was not alone in the hit parade for baseball's lowest scoring team. Ben Revere and Freddy Galvis each had three hits, and Cesar Hernandez and Ryan Howard drove in two runs apiece as the Phillies had a season high for runs and hits (18) in a second straight offensive outburst against a top starter.

Winners of 11 of 13 at Yankee Stadium coming in, New York was roughed up for 10 or more runs in consecutive home games for the second time this year. Texas did it May 22-23 against Pineda and CC Sabathia, Tuesday's starter.

Brett Gardner hit a three-run homer off Corriea and had four hits — two on bunts. He reached base five times for New York, which had 14 hits and was 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Jake Diekman (2-1) walked three in two scoreless innings for the win in relief of Corriea. In his third start this year, Corriea allowed five runs in four innings.

Franco opened the scoring with a homer in the first. He singled and scored in the third, had two-run single in the fourth and connected for a long two-run drive to left in the sixth off Chris Capuano. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the seventh with a chance to push his first multihomer game to three longballs.

"I just play the game, play baseball," said Franco, when asked if he was nervous playing at Yankee Stadium. "When I go out there I just try to play the game right."

In the bottom half, Franco dived to snare Chris Young's sharp grounder leading off and made a strong throw to first for the out.

Trailing 2-1 going the third, the team that scored just 22 runs in those 12 straight road losses — their longest road losing streak since 1999 — put their first four batters on with Howard hitting a two-run single to put the Phillies back on top.

In 3 1-3 innings, Pineda allowed career highs of eight runs and 11 hits — his second poor start sandwiching an outing in which he took a no-hitter into the seventh.

Phillies: Cole Hamels is still on target to start Wednesday in the series finale. Sandberg said "everything went well" for the LHP in his last bullpen session.

Yankees: Mark Teixeira was out of the starting lineup because of a stiff neck — a problem for about 10 days. Girardi said postgame an MRI was "pretty good," and the 1B was given an injection to "speed up the healing process."

UP NEXT

Phillies: Sean O'Sullivan (1-5) is coming off his best start of the year: one run and four hits in five innings against Baltimore with a season-high seven strikeouts. He is 2-2 with a 5.87 ERA against New York.

Yankees: Sabathia has held opponents to batting average of .083 (2 for 24) with runners in scoring position. Philadelphia entered Monday 28th of 30 teams with a .220 average (122 for 555) with RISP.